Call by President Edgar Lungu for a Government of national unity in DRC is necessary-Malanji

Zambia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Joseph Malanji being interviewed on SABC about DRC proposal for a negotiated settlement

Zambia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Malanji has stated that the call by President Edgar Lungu for a government of national unity in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was necessary to bring peace and security to the country.

Speaking live on SABC, Hon. Malanji said that even in the event that all processes were complete, this could not guarantee peace and security in the DRC.

And South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Lindiwe Sisulu has called for a UN Mediation team to help arrive at a political Settlement.

Hon. Malanji who is the Chairperson of the SADC Ministerial Committee on the Organ of Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation and Head of the SADC Electoral Observer Mission in the DRC said DRC was holding the 3rd election in 60 years. He recognized that the advisory was unprecedented and historical because of the unique position of the DRC.

Hon. Malanji thanked the DRC government for funding their own elections and for ensuring that the Congolese people expressed themselves through the ballot.

Hon. Malanji said the government had overcome numerous challenges including security threat and disease to have this elections and that some regions did not participate because of the Ebola and areas of insecurity, adding that although there was a legal process, the interest of DRC and its peace was secured and SADC was committed to a peaceful Congo before and after elections.

Hon. Malanji said Zambia agreed with South Africa’s proposal to the United Nations Security Council to send mediation team and appreciated the role that the community of SADC had given to the DRC.

Hon. Malanji said DRC, had 600 political parties and attracted over 15,000, and said that CENI also did well to ensure that transparency.

However, a member of the Felix Thisikedi team based in Johannesburg, Claude Ibalanka expressed concern that the proposal might undermine the process. and called for a possible government of national team after the court process was complete. Mr Ibalanka denied that the outcome of the recent elections was engineered by the out-going President Joseph Kabila.

But Hon. Malanji dismissed the fears, saying the matter was a strong proposal for the sake of peace and that President Lungu consulted widely to ensure that if engandered, lasting solution and peace will prevail.

41 COMMENTS

The so called ‘governments of national unity’ are an affront to democracy and have shown in the past that they do not work. Did not work in Zimbabwe nor Kenya. They are a compromise to appease sour losers. Democratic elections require that a winner is declared and has a mandate of the electorate according to the prevailing rules of the constitution. Why do we then need to begin accommodating people/parties who were not voted in according to the rules? I thought we had moved past this nonsense in recent years. Lungu should be care in promoting such initiatives as he can rest assured that in 2021 if PF wins by a small margin (which is more likely than and landslide), the UNPD will push of a compromise in the form a government of national unity.

@blabla. I beg to differ. For true purposes of transition GNU works, provided that all parties involved participate in decision making. It worked in SA, Namibia, Kenya (Kibaki and Odinga coalition). The winner takes all kind of democracy isn’t always the best especially were they are rising tensions.

He went to RSA to brief Ramaphosa on DRC elections & for a routine medical check-up.

Democracy in Zambia has crumbled, hijacked by a thieving cartel. PF00Ls & Zambians have no moral right to comment on DRC.
Jesus said, “Before removing the speck in your friends eye, remove the log in your own eye”.

The opposition has taken the matter to the Constitution Court which is yet to decide on it. In addition
SADC has not sent a delegation to DRC to talk to all parties and verify the claims by both parties. The call for the a Government of National Unity is therefore premature and baseless. The true winner is known and the Court is yet to decide. What is wrong with African leaders? They so incapable of resolving simple issues. CENCO has the results and they know who the winner is.

GNU is an appeasement tool for sore losers ,an accomodative settlement for losers is not allowed in sports and its never allowed for failed students.Destabilize a country,threaten peace after losing and you get rewarded with a post-that’s sickening to reward such wrongs.

This what happens when you rig elections to return strangle hold on power for absolute power’s sake.
“PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa is in a catch-22 situation over whether to implement recommendations of the Motlanthe commission of inquiry into the August 1 post-election violence, which urged him to engage opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa to move the country forward,” reported Newsday.
Zimbabwe is in this economic mess of serious economic meltdown because it is in a political paralysis. Zanu PF has ruthlessly imposed itself on the nation as the only party to govern the country regardless of the party’s performance.
Yes Mnangagwa is caught in a catch-22 situation but one a lot more subtle than having a dialogue with Chamisa. He rigged the elections to return his strangle hold on…

Continued
… He rigged the elections to return his strangle hold on power for absolute power’s sake but also to make sure he and his fellow Zanu PF thugs are never held to account for all their past misdeed of looting, rigging elections, staging coups and mass murders.
By rigging the elections Zanu PF was assured of the party’s iron grip on power but it also forfeited the people’s democratic mandate, making it an illegitimate regime.

How can Zimbabwe function properly when sanctions are still in place?? MDC failed to prove rigging allegations when given chance just like all African opposition. Odinga got wise and abandoned the western influenced African opposition which cries rigging all the time. He successfully nullified an election but realised that he still can’t win as his opponents supporters will still vote for their candidate just like his own. The west now realising that democracy is taking root in Africa and their influence is fading as Africans can now make their own decisions-like side with China-are trying to discredit African leadership as corrupt and dictatorial so its people can reject it so they can usher in their puppet regimes-Kainde, Chamisa, Fayulu, Maimane etc. Sadly they are creating single…

…party states as the populations see through their puppets and reject them at the ballot. Then the familiar “rigging” cry bellows and the court contests begin. Its all a scheme to undermine African leaders and democracy by the western powers and prevent the rising influence of the Eastern powers. Truth is democracy has worked in Africa. Administrative glitches or teething problems by electoral bodies still exist but ballot tampering doesn’t. All over Africa western puppets are losing elections. Development takes time but populations are sensitive to western schemes as information is more readily available and more Africans get education.

Most of you are busy denouncing the proposal BUT you are failing to give context the real problem!! I am NOT a fun of Lungu but I believe this is a GOOD JOB SO FAR!! The PROPOSAL TO RECOUNT VOTES IS IN LINE WITH WHAT THE OPPOSITION,CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS, UN SECURITY COUNCIL, EU,AU, GREAT LAKES REGION WANT and is in LINE WITH THE LEGAL PROCESS TAKEN BY THE “losing” OPPOSITION. Further the results at Provincial and Legislatative assembly give Kabila absolute majority,in which case Kabila’s coalition will appoint a Prime Minister and Ministers to run the government which will MAKE PRESIDENT VERY WEAK TO IMPLEMENT REFORMS.Kabila himself is NOT GOING INTO RETIREMENT as by LAW he is a SENATOR FOR LIFE (UPPER HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT) and thus may even be Speaker of the Senate! These issues must be…

All this reference to ECL and DRC issues is just a way to make him appear relevant and give the impression he is around and working (when in truth, we haven’t heard from him in almost a week) He has not appeared in person – all these are statements being attributed to him by others.